The BBCWestern Rust premiered in Poland, three years after cinematographer Halina Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed on set in New Mexico.
Organizers of Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival said the exhibition was a tribute to the 42-year-old Ukrainian-born cinematographer, who was a fan of the event and had attended it in the past.
Alec Baldwin, the film’s star, was not invited and did not attend the premiere.
Writer and director Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting, told the BBC at the premiere that at one point he “couldn’t imagine getting back on set, it hurt so much”.
He said he changed his mind and decided to complete the film after speaking with Hutchison’s husband, Matt.
But the announcement that Cameraimage in the northern Polish city of Torun is to give the film its international debut has been criticized by some prominent Hollywood cinematographers for insulting Hitchens’ memory.
Hutchence’s mother, Olga Solovy, who is suing the production and Alec Baldwin in a civil action, also did not participate.
In a statement released by her lawyer, she said she sees the premier as trying to profit from her daughter’s death.
“Alec Baldwin continues to add to my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to accept responsibility for her death,” she said.
In October 2021, Mr. Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on set with a gun, loaded with dummy rounds, when the weapon fired a live round, killing Hitchens and injuring the film’s writer and director Joel Souza. went
How the live bullet got into the gun remains a mystery.
In July, a judge dismissed Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case after police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.
In February, Hannah Gutierrez-Reid, the armorer on the film’s set, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and is serving 18 months in prison. He has appealed against the decision.
Set in Wyoming in 1882, Rust tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who is sentenced to hang after accidentally killing a rancher. He runs with his grandfather, Harlan Rust of Baldwin.
Getty ImagesSouza, who attended the premiere with Cline who replaced Hitchens as the film’s cinematographer, declined multiple requests to complete the film after the tragic shooting, saying he was “back on set.” Couldn’t imagine coming back because it hurt so much.”
He said Hutchison’s husband, Matt, convinced him to complete the film, which is dedicated to him.
“At first I didn’t really know if I wanted to do it to be honest, but as I found out that this is what Matt wanted, this is what the family wanted, it started to change the equation for me,” she said. told The BBC
“It was going to be more about his legacy and honoring his memory,” he added, saying that his final work was done and that started to change my mind on things. “
Both he and Kline acknowledged that many in the industry were unhappy with their decision.
“Everybody’s angry, we’re angry too. It’s something tragic and it’s hard to deal with. Some people think it’s better to deal with it by not participating and others think it’s respectable, like us. “I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer,” Clyne told the BBC.
Before the screening, Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins who made a documentary about the making of Rust, recalled how difficult it was to complete the film with all the controversy surrounding it.
He said some crew members asked him not to film him on the closed set, in which case, he said, it turned out he had worked on Rust “and I might never get a job again.” “.
The crew returned to finish filming when they realized it could help Hitchens’ family.
“He had this amazing gift of making friends with people very quickly. And they all fell in love with him,” she said.
Ms Mason also recounted a conversation she had with Hutchison’s mother 18 months ago in which she told her she wanted the film to be completed because it was a “big job” for her daughter.
Rust depicts the quest of grandfather and grandson against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and grimy cities.
It consciously acknowledges classic westerns including John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’ and Sergio Leone’s ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’.
Souza was very close to her grandfather, who, she says, loved the West.
Several people I spoke to after the screening enjoyed the film, with John, a film colorist from Warsaw, calling it “a classic Western.”
Leonora, a cinematographer from Belarus, said it was overwhelming and she cried during Ms Mason’s speech.
EPAOne viewer noted that many of the gunfight scenes involving Alec Baldwin could be disturbing.
“Every time I was thinking about it, especially during the gunfight scenes, it wasn’t hard to step back from the movie, especially when Alec Baldwin had the gun, but most of the time it was just a It was a really, really pleasant experience,” said Mackage from Turin.
In a statement, Rust Movie Productions representative Melina Spadone defended the festival against some of the criticism.
“Camerimage Festival celebrates the artistry of cinematographers; it is not a festival for shoppers.
“None of the producers of Rust stand to benefit financially from this film. The suggestion that those involved in completing the Helena Hitchens film were motivated by profit is an insult to those who cherish her legacy. worked tirelessly for the respect of
